Sybelle Foxcroft – TIGER TEMPLE (Youtube link) – Taming the Tigers – SBS Dateline – Here is the Youtube link for the Dateline program. I went back to the Tiger Temple with Dateline journalist David O’Shea to check on the Tigers welfare, to see any changes, and to provide education for the public to travel ethically. Please share this with everyone you know. Until people are educated about this place and others like it, animals will continue to be abused, animals will suffer, and animals will disappear, all because people think its cool to “pat” these wild creatures. Save your money and support the last 3000 tigers left in world in the wild, and help us protect the ones in captivity from illegal wildlife trade and exploitation ~ Sybelle

KUWAIT: Bu Rashid sat down in his dewaniya with a look of concern on his face as everyone in attendance could tell he was anticipating some news. Soon afterwards, he let out a sigh of relief after receiving a phone call in which the person on the other side of the conversation broke to him the good news: “The package you ordered has entered Kuwait.” It was no ordinary package that Bu Rashid had purchased from a Saudi merchant and smuggled into Kuwait. “These were a number of cheetahs smuggled via the border,” he admitted as he felt the need to explain to the people in his dewaniya who were left wondering about the mysterious phone call. An endangered species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) treaty, to which the Kuwaiti government is a signatory, cheetahs are becoming increasingly popular among wild animal trainers in the tiny desert nation located north east of the Arabian Gulf.

Once considered exclusive to Sheikhs (ruling family members) and wealthy businessmen, many Kuwaitis are entertaining the idea of raising cheetahs as these are relatively easier to be domesticated compared to other felines or wild animals. The trend is becoming even more popular with an increasing belief that Kuwait has an ‘open’ route for cheetahs. Cheetahs are smuggled to Kuwait from Saudi Arabia where they arrive from Africa via Yemen.

The Souk Jazan and Souk Al-Khouba at the Saudi- Yemeni border are considered the main markets where the animal is sold. After arriving in Yemen on boats, the cheetahs are transported through land to Saudi Arabia where they are placed in sackcloths before being smuggled into Kuwait. Looking for a cheetah to buy is as easy as searching for a product online. Potential cheetah owners have access to a variety of websites where merchants offer the animals for sale, complete with specifications and pictures, as well as prices that start from KD3,000.

A majority of customers are young people often seen walking their animals at the Arabian Gulf Road or putting them in their convertible cars, according to most traders. Abu Nawaf, an avid Cheetah trainer, believes that raising these animals is no different than raising falcons, horses or even sheep. “It can be both a hobby and a trade at the same time,” he said in a phone conversation with Al-Rai’s reporter after he refused to meet in person “to avoid legal prosecution.” Abu Nawaf does not see any reason why it is illegal for anyone to raise a cheetah “when there are Sheikhs and many celebrities who own them but no one can hold them accountable.” In this regard, environmental activist Abdurrahman Al-Sarhan explains that the CITES treaty the government signed in 2003 imposes upon Kuwait an international obligation to protect the endangered species. The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources, the governmental body responsible for implementing such treaties in Kuwait, remains incapable of curbing the rising cheetah trade in Kuwait.

This is because most trainers keep their animals in private properties such as farms and livestock ranches, according to Oudah Al-Bathali who believes that the Kuwaiti government is not doing its job to ensure implementation of the CITES agreement.

Omar Al-Ajmy, who keeps a number of cheetahs at his residence, said that he has been practicing this hobby for years, but insisted that he does not trade “or make any kind of profit” from it. He also expressed frustration with the fact that his phone “never stops ringing” as many people call him with offers to buy his cheetahs. — Al-Rai

As many as 295 posts at various levels are lying vacant in six tiger reserves of the State, posing a security threat to the big cats there.

A highest of 222 vacancies are at the level of forest guards, 46 at foresters, 25 of forest rangers and two of deputy forest rangers, according to an information received in response to an RTI query filed by activist Ajay Dubey.

Tiger population in the country was estimated to be 1,706 as per the 2010 data. Madhya Pradesh has about 257 big cats in its various reserves.

Incidentally, Madhya Pradesh has not yet constituted a Special Tiger Protection Force despite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s directive to the State Government in this regard two years ago.

The Prime Minister in April 2010 had written to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasising on “urgent need” to ensure safety of tigers through a slew of measures including declaration of buffer areas at tiger reserves and setting up of a special force to protect the wild cats.

“It is unfortunate that the State Government has not filled vacant posts in various tiger reserves. It has also not formed a Special Tiger Protection Force to save the wild cats. We will soon meet the Chief Minister in this regard,” Dubey said.

Authorities in June had found a full grown tiger dead in the forest area of neighbouring Sehore district allegedly killed by poachers.

Asia is leading afforestation activity in the world with a significant contribution from India which is adding 300,000 hectares of forest every year, a senior UN official said. “I would highlight India, which still has important population growth. The forests in India are growing at 300,000 hectare per annum,” Eduardo Rojas Briales, Forestry Director of Food and Agriculture Organisation told journalists on Wednesday.

According to the ‘State of the World’s Forests’ report, published by the Food and Agricultural Organisation, five countries — India, China, Australia, Indonesia and Myanmar –- had the largest forested area in Asia and Pacific region. These countries accounted for 74% of the forest in the region, with China and Australia alone accounting for almost half the forest area of the region.

In the Asia and Pacific region, forests were lost at a rate of 0.7 million hectares per year in the 1990s but the trend reversed and forests recorded a growth rate of 1.4 million hectares per year over the period 2000–2010, the report said.

“This was primarily due to large scale afforestation efforts in China, where the forest area increased by 2 million hectares per year in the 1990s and by an average of 3 million hectares per year since 2000,” it said, adding that Bhutan, India, the Philippines and Vietnam also increased forest area in the past ten years.

The report also highlighted China and India’s targets for large scale forest planting in the next few years.

India’s target is to cover 33% of its land area with forests and tree cover by 2012. However, 25% per cent of the country land area was covered by forests and trees in 2010, according to the Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) 2010.

“To this should be added an unknown area of line plantings and other ‘trees outside forests’,” the report stated.

According to the report, China plans a 50 million hectare increase in the area of its planted forests by 2020, with the aim of covering 23% per cent of the total land area with forests, a target which may be reached by 2015 if current planting rates continue.

However, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Timor Leste (Official name of East Timor) and Bangladesh have not seen improvements in their forest cover in the past decade, Rojas Briales said. Forests cover was slightly less than one third of the total land area of Asia and Pacific.

The region’s forested area was 740 million hectares in 2010, accounting for about 18% of the global forest area, according to FRA.

“They harbour 80% of land based biodiversity, and store more than 1 trillion tons of carbon… Greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation account for more than those by the world’s entire transportation sector,” he added.

One day, the hare set fire to the bush. Unfortunately, the fire reached the lions’ children. The lionpromised to give a buffalo to the one who had set the fire to the bush. The hare wen

t to inform the hyenaabout this.“My dear hyena, the lion wants to see to the one who burned the bush today, so that he can offer him a buffalo!” The hyena went to find the lion: “My dear lion, it appears you are looking for the one who set the bush on fire?”The lion said yes. The hyena said that she was the one. The lion replied: “Oh really? So it was you who set fire to the bush?” The hyena continued to say yes. So, the lion set off and asked her to follow him.

A little farther on the lion asked again: “Who burned this place, here?” “I’m the one who burned all of that” the hyena replied. The lion continued his walk with the hyena.

A little farther on, the lion asked his question again: “Who burned this place here?” “Didn’t I already tell you that I am the one who burned the whole area?” said the hyena with some annoyance. They kept walking. When they came to a small tree called a bagênd, the lion asked her once more: “Who burned this area?” “I already told you that I am the one who burned all that you see” said the hyena.

The lion walked around the small tree behind which were his dead cubs. He asked the hyena: “Who burned this area?” “No it wasn’t me. The fires got mixed up. I’m not the one who set the fire here” said the hyena. The lion seized her and cut off her paws. Even today, when the lion finds the hyena he cuts off her paws; he doesn’t kill her.

Her Motto is “Never Give Up”, and for anyone who knows Sybelle Foxcroft (cee4life), it is all too Apparent how she Lives by those Words….

For Over 5 Years now, she has dedicated herself to Bringing Awareness to the Public of one of the World’s Most Renown Tourists Attractions – Thailand‘s Tiger Temple.
Under covering the Illegal Tiger Trade Operation that is hidden to the public Eye, this Woman has done everything in her power to be a Voice for the over 100 Tigers that are Victims and held Prisoner in this Temple. One of them being the Beautiful “Harnfa” that she helped raise – pictured here with Sybelle….

To Quote Sybelle –
Miracle – 🙂 My boy, My Harnfa touches earth for the first time in 5 years :))))))) If we didnt have faith, we would give up trying to save any creature. Even the toughest and seemingly impossible battles can be won. A long time ago, I began to fight for the Temple Tigers, I swore in my heart that I would Never Give Up. My boy I raised was trapped, he was abused, he was locked in a cage in Thailand and I couldnt get him out. Many told me over the years it is “Impossible Sybelle”… These things are only impossible if you say they are. I would never stop trying to save my boy, trying to get him out of his cement 15 foot prison. For 5 long years, my heart has been torn apart trying to bring some ethical care to him and the other temple tigers. If you ever loose faith and think it is impossible, dont, it only seems that way. xoxo Here is my Harnfa 2012, out of his jail cell, in his beloved plants and tree’s xoxo Never Give Up xoxoxo

On her Recent Trip back to Thailand, this time Sybelle accompanies Dateline’s SBS Journalist David O’ Shea who poses as a Tourist to see the Side of the Sanctuary presented to the public.
* Approx. 20 hours of Footage taken, to be edited down to Dateline’s Presentation of – “Taming the Tigers”.
Sybelle, you did it. You were waiting for the “right” Media Voice to see through your eyes, what the World does not know…I hope they do you Justice Dear Friend. xox Sincere Thank you to SBS Dateline for Giving the World this Opportunity to see….
May the World now see what really is going on – Behind the Cloak of Buddha………………..

SBS Dateline 30th October 2012, 930pm AEST – Director of Cee4life Sybelle Foxcroft, returns to the infamous Tiger Temple, Thailand with Dateline to follow up on Cee4life’s 5 year investigation into the abuse of the Tigers for tourism and the illegal wildlife trade.